This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from an application entitled COMPUTER SYSTEM HAVING JOG DIAL FUNCTION earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on the Dec. 13, 1997, and there duly assigned Serial No. 97-68430, and from an application entitled A USER INTERFACE METHOD OF USING JOG-DIAL FUNCTION earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on the Jul. 14, 1998, and there duly assigned Serial No. 98-28457, copies of which are annexed hereto.
The present invention relates to a computer system, and more particularly to a computer system having a control panel that allows selection of an application program installed in the computer and execution thereof and to a user interface method for the same.
Computer systems are information handling systems that are utilized by many individuals and businesses today. A computer system can be defined as a microcomputer that includes a central processing unit (CPU), a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory such as read only memory (ROM), a display monitor, a keyboard, a mouse or other input device such as a trackball, a floppy diskette drive, a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM) drive, a modem, a hard disk storage device, and a printer. A computer system""s main board, which is a printed circuit board known as a motherboard, is used to electrically connect these components together.
The central processing unit is often described as a microprocessor. The microprocessor is an electronic component having internal logic circuitry handling most, if not all, the data processing in the computer system. The internal logic circuitry of microprocessors is typically divided into three functional parts known as the input/output (I/O) unit, the control unit, and the arithmetic-logic unit (ALU). These three functional parts interact together and determine the power and performance of the microprocessor. The combination of the control unit and the arithmetic-logic unit can be referred to as the central processing unit. Also, the combination of the input/output unit, the control unit, and the arithmetic-logic unit can be referred to as the central processing unit.
Computer systems include a basic input output system (BIOS) which is an especially important program stored in read only memory (ROM). The basic input output system (BIOS) tests a computer every time the computer is powered on. The basic input output system (BIOS) can allocate a computer system""s resources automatically, making adjustments needed to accommodate new hardware. Also, the basic input output system (BIOS) governs how system board components interact.
When the computer system is powered on, the basic input output system (BIOS) immediately takes control of the computer system and its components. The first duty of the basic input output system (BIOS) is to perform a series of diagnostic routines called the power on self test (POST) routine, which ensures that every part of the computer system""s hardware is functioning properly.
In the personal computer system, there are many methods of executing a command or an application program depending on the operating system used in a computer system and its user interface method. Operating systems used in state-of-art personal computers adopt so-called graphic user interface (GUI). This graphic user interface has made a great contribution to the computing environment for its convenience in using the computer. For example, in the Windows(R) operating system developed by Microsoft(R) Corporation, an application can be executed by selecting the corresponding icon placed on the Desktop or by exploring the File Manager or Explorer through mouse or keyboard operation. Basically, present operating systems adopting the GUI designate icons relative to every tile or documents and icons are displayed on the monitor screen so that the user may select the desired one and execute it by clicking the mouse button.
In such an operating system, however, if many program icons are placed on the Windows Desktop or a program group window, those icons may cause inconvenience to a user in selecting a desired one among many icons. Further, if an icon corresponding to the desired application program is not presented in the Desktop, it is difficult for a novice to find the desired program in the Windows Explorer and to execute the very program.
Recently, in order to facilitate execution of frequently used application programs, provisions are made to the personal computer such that a control panel, having a plurality of buttons called xe2x80x9cEasy Buttonxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cQ button,xe2x80x9d are provided in the front panel of the computer main body. Such buttons may be the one incorporated into a remote control device of the computer. Each button of the control panel is designated by a particular function of the computer or common application program. By pressing a button, starting or ending of an application program is possible.
However, although the above-noted control panel provides the user with easy and quick access to the computer, the inherent problem is that it has limitation in number of the button. Further, since designation of the functional button has been determined by the computer manufacturer, the computer user could not change the button designation at will. If it is possible to provide more buttons with the front control panel, then too many buttons will cause inconvenience to a user as like many icons registered in the Windows Desktop. Furthermore, the above-noted control panel lacks the ability to choose a main menu or control menu of the selected application program through the button operation.
I have found that a simplified and convenient access apparatus and method for a computer system would be desirable. Efforts have been made to develop devices and methods related to electrical systems and computer systems.
Exemplars of recent efforts in the art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,926 for METHOD OF GENERATING AN OPERATING BUTTON FOR COMPUTER PROCESSING, METHOD OF RETRIEVING DATA WITH THE OPERATING BUTTON AND METHOD OF DISPLAYING THE OPERATING BUTTON issued to Arita, U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,811 for OPERATOR/CIRCUIT INTERFACE WITH INTEGRATED DISPLAY SCREEN issued to Jaeger, U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,477 for SYSTEM FOR INTERACTIVELY CREATING ACTION BAR PULL-DOWN WINDOWS OF A USER INTERFACE FOR USE AT PROGRAM RUN TIME issued to Koopmans et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,429 for MULTIFUNCTION SEQUENCE OPERATED INTEGRATED SWITCH-DISPLAY DEVICE issued to Tsuha et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,784 for MANAGEMENT CONTROL TERMINAL METHOD AND APPARATUS issued to Van Bemmelen.
While these recent efforts provide advantages, I note that they fail to adequately provide a simplified and convenient access apparatus and method for a computer system. Thus, there is a need of an improved computer control panel, capable of selecting and executing an application program more efficiently, to improve user interface provided by the computer control panel.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a computer system having an improved user interface which can select and execute a desired application program among many programs, and registration of a new program menu item as well as edition of the registered program menu can be performed by a user.
It is another object of the invention to provide a computer system having a control panel which can select a menu or submenu of an executed program through operation of the control panel.
In accordance with the present invention, the computer system comprises a control panel having a rotary switch and at least one push button switch; a microcontroller in response to input signals fed from the switches of said control panel to produce predefined key scan code data corresponding to each switch signal; a host system for determining whether a key scan code data corresponds to the key operation of the control panel is inputted to produce a command for performing corresponding function as to the rotation of the rotary switch or pressing of the button switches; and a shell program stored in a memory of the host system for being invoked when said key scan code data is received by the system host and for displaying a menu window in a display monitor, through which selective execution of an application program is possible by the command produced in the host system.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the predefined key scan code data is sent to the system host through keyboard data/clock line of a keyboard controller.
Further, the control panel is mounted in the front bezel of the computer main body and the rotary switch includes at least two signal output terminals to produce different pulse signals therefrom as it is rotated either in clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. The control panel further includes other push button switches provided adjacent to the rotary switch for performing a specific function of the system host.
The program selection menu window of this invention has a dial-like form extending along the horizontal side thereof and divided into three sections, each of which are designated by names of an application program (a menu item) that is being registered in the shell program. Further, the menu item is registered in each of program registration sections of the loop type data format provided in the shell program.
According to another aspect of this invention, an interface method for use in a computer system is provided, the computer system includes a control panel which has a rotary switch and at least one push button switch for selectively executing an application program stored in the computer, the method comprises the steps of determining whether an input exists from the control panel; varying contents of a menu window for selecting a command for executing an application in response to rotational direction of the rotary switch, if the control panel input corresponds to the rotary switch; and performing a function designated by the push button switch of the control panel, if the control panel input corresponds to the push button switch, wherein at least one push button switch is designated for execution of the command selected by the rotary switch, and if a menu or submenu of the executed program is selected by the rotary switch the selected menu can be executed by the switch for execution of the command.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising: a panel including at least one switch unit, said at least one switch unit outputting a plurality of switch signals in response to a user switching said at least one switch unit, said plurality of switch signals corresponding to a first operation selected from among a plurality of operations; a processing unit receiving first data corresponding to said switch signals, and outputting a command signal to perform said first operation; a video display conveying varying visual information to the user, said visual information corresponding to said plurality of operations, said first operation, and said switching of said at least one switch unit; and a memory unit being coupled to said processing unit and storing a routine, said routine being performed by said processing unit when said first data is received by said processing unit, and said routine being performed by said processing unit to convey said visual information to the user at said video display.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a method, comprising: determining when a signal is output from a panel, said panel including a rotary switch and at least one push button switch; varying visual data displayed at a video display, said varying of said visual data being performed in response to a rotational movement of said rotary switch when said signal corresponds to said rotary switch, said visual data corresponding to a plurality of application programs; performing a function corresponding to said at least one push button switch when said signal corresponds to said at least one push button switch; and said at least one push button switch being designated for execution of a selected application program, said selected application program being selected from among said plurality of application programs by operation of said rotary switch.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a method, comprising: determining when a signal is output from a panel of a computer system, said panel including a rotary switch and at least one push button switch; varying visual data of a menu displayed at a video display, said varying of said visual data being performed in response to a rotational movement of said rotary switch when said signal corresponds to said rotary switch, said varying of said visual data being performed to facilitate a user selecting a command from among a plurality of commands for executing an application program stored in said computer system, said visual data of said menu including said plurality of commands; and performing a function corresponding to said at least one push button switch when said signal corresponds to said at least one push button switch, said at least one push button switch being designated for execution of said command selected by the user.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a method, comprising: executing an application program utilizing a panel of a computer system, said panel including a rotary switch and at least one push button switch; selecting a first menu item from among a plurality of displayed menu items of a first menu of said executed application program according to a rotational movement of said rotary switch; and executing said first menu item by pressing said at least one push button switch, wherein said at least one push button switch is designated for execution of said first menu item selected by said rotary switch.
The present invention is more specifically described in the following paragraphs by reference to the drawings attached only by way of example. Other advantages and features will become apparent from the following description and from the claims.